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Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, along with Catawba Lands Conservancy, the Carolina Thread Trail and the University of North Carolina Charlotte invite the public to the opening celebration of the Ruth G. Shaw Trail on Toby Creek Greenway on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 3 p.m. Toby Creek Greenway is located in the University City area and connects the 7.1 mile-long Mallard / Clark’s Creek Greenway to and through the campus of UNC Charlotte.

The new trail is named in honor of Dr. Ruth G. Shaw, a longtime civic and business leader who is the founding chair of the governing board of the Carolina Thread Trail, an interconnected trail system in piedmont North and South Carolina.

Under Dr. Shaw’s leadership, nine of the Thread’s 15 counties have adopted countywide master plans for a total of 1,000 planned trail miles. About 67 miles of trail have opened, and $1,568,002 has been awarded in catalytic grants from the Thread to community partners who are advancing the project throughout the region.

The ceremony will feature brief remarks from Dr. Shaw as well as other distinguished guests.

Toby Creek Greenway was funded by a $1.25 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The greenway stretches two miles and links many neighborhoods in the university area to the UNC Charlotte campus, allowing many students, faculty, and staff to walk or ride bikes to the university. Neighborhoods which adjoin this greenway system include Fairlea, Wellington, Winchester, Mallard Ridge, Radbourne, Colvard Park, Mallard Trace, Brookstone, and the University Research Park.

Please park in the Union Parking Deck and walk back to and cross Cameron Blvd. to the brick walkway that leads to the west campus.